


Total Eclipse Of The Heart

by Ukume94



Series: Back To The Future [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 1980, Animated GIFs, Daddy Issues, Divorce, F/M, Longing for a relationship, Male-Female Friendship, Single Parents, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 19:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20051416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukume94/pseuds/Ukume94





	Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Joyce screams into the pillow with pure anger, Jonathan and Will were hanging out at the park. Will loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, she even let Will build the fort Castle Byers only a few weeks ago just so Will could be closer to the outdoors.

Joyce and Lonnie divoriced when Will was 3 so since then Joyce gave Lonnie visitation rights, Will and father we're supposed to go hang out for his father and son day but of course like Lonnie has done for years he cancels last minute.

Will's going to be crushed, how was she supposed to tell him his father was the worst and he would rather be with the woman he had an affair with then his own son?

The sound of the front door opening and the boys voices coming from the living room giving Joyce the time she needs to calm herself down and wipe away the angry tears.

Standing she moves to the bedroom door and opens it, walking out she sees the boys laughing.

"How was the park?" She asks.

Will turn around and smiles largely. She was so afraid to let him down, he's only 9 but if this is how his dad was going to be she would have to teach him a lesson he's not always getting things they he was told, that promises were broken.

"It was great mom, Jonathan and I played on the swings. We also got to pet Mr. Jones dog. You know the dog that pees all the time."

"Right." She looks to Jonathan. "Did he wash his hands?" She asked mouthing to her older son.

Jonathan nods his head so she doesn't have to worry about his dirty hands.

"She licked me so much." He adds when he looks towards Jonathan.

"He will need a bath later." He adds looking to his mom.

"I can't dad is supposed to be picking me up." Will reminds Jonathan.

It must have been the look on Joyce's face when Will started up with his Dad Jonathan new that look anywhere.

His face turns red with anger and tightens his jaw.

"Will, about Dad. He's not-"

"He's not coming is he?" Will ask interrupting her.

Joyce shakes her head slowly. "No baby, he's not."

"Dad hates me, doesn't he?"

"What?" Joyce asks.

"No." Jonathan says.

"Of course not baby."

"He hates everyone." Jonathan answers.

"Jonathan!" Joyce shouts.

"What? It's true." He defends himself. "He used to do the same thing to me when I was younger, so he doesn't just hate him he hates me too." Jonathan answers.

"He doesn't hate either of you." She tries to fix what Jonathan said.

"How do you know mom?" Will asks. "He's never done it to you." He adds.

"He cheated on her, that's worse. So yeah, he hates her too."

"Jonathan Ray Byers!"

"I'm just saying."

"Well stop. It's not helping." She says grabing her hair by the roots and pulling it into her fists.

"Dad doesn't hate either of us. It's just he doesn't have his priorities straight."

"What does that mean?" Will asks.

"It means he hasn't grown up yet, he still thinks he can do these kind of things cause he doesn't think the family he's left matters. She just thinks of himself and what feels good to him."

"Narcissistic bastard." Jonathan says.

"Jonathan, watch your mouth."

"Oh come on, we both know he is." He raises his eyebrow.

She blinks a few times before looking to the ground, she thinks about the things he's done said and made everyone feel.

She did nods in agreement.

"He has hurt both of you plenty of times which I will not stand for."

"What about you?"

"I'm just your mom, I don't matter." She says shrugging.

"That's not true, you matter just as much as we'll and I. Your feelings get hurt, you get angry, you cry. So you matter too." Jonathan says.

Will moves towards Joyce and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe mom should start dating." Will says looking to Jonathan then towards Joyce.

Jonathan and Will look to each other and chuckle.

"Date? No way." She shakes her head.

"Come on Mom, we know you get lonely."

"I'm fine, thank you very much." She says taking a seat on the couch.

"Mom, you get very lonely." Will says. "When we hug sometimes you hug me until I have no more air left in my lungs." He adds.

"She also calls us just to say hi."

"She shows up at my school with lunch and the lunch has a letter in it saying how much she misses me and loves me."

"Well I just thought I was being nice." She tries to defend herself.

"You sat alone last year at the 4th of July fair when Will was with his friends."

"I wasn't alone, you were there." She says.

"Mom I was working the rollercoaster. You looked so lonely." Jonathan says.

"You go to the movies alone sometimes."

"I do not, I always go with Jonathan and you."

"What about the time you went and watched Blue Lagoon?"

"Right, I forgot about that one. That was one time."

"The first of many."

"Mom, I don't want you to be like Dustin's mom."

"What's wrong with her?" Shs asks knowing her from school, of course she was a freshman when Dustin's mom was a senior.

"She has two cats at the moment." He answers.

"So?"

"So, she also has a pillow and blankets."

"Of cats?" She asks.

"A shirt, even a cookie jar." He nods his head adding the other items Dustin's mom has. "She has them all over the house, Dustin says she just bought a clock that meows every hour."

"She went over the deep end." Joyce looks to the distance in her house thinking of her when she was in high school.

"I don't think we want you to become her either."

She shakes her head.

"Boy's, I've grown up with all these guys here in town and I went to high school with all of them too. I have never been into any of them." She explains.

"What about that guy Hopper?" Jonathan asks.

"Jim?" She asks looking to Jonathan. She thinks for a second, it's been years since he was in Hawkins. "He doesn't live here anymore, he fell in love and married some city girl in Chicago." She says. "So he's off limits, any other bright ideas?"

"What about buying one of those things in dad's magazines?"

Joyce almost has a heart attack. Lonnie always had those disgusting magazines in the bathroom. She made sure to put them in the top shelf so Jonathan and Will never got ahold of them.

"Okay, enough of this talk. Back to what we were talking about." She interrupted quickly before Will asked any questions.

"Now that we all know your father isn't coming, we can all do something together." She says. "Fox and the Hound is in theaters. We can all go and watch it."

"Cartoons?" Jonathan asks.

"What? It's Disney everyone loves Disney."

"It's for kids." He explains.

"You are my kids." She says pulling them by their arms and having them sit on the couch with her so she can kiss their cheeks.

"Mom." They both whine in unison.

"Okay okay." She says getting up. "How about this, I take a trip to the market to make dinner. I'm thinking meatloaf, what do you think?" She asks the boys.

"It's like you were reading our minds, we were just talking about your meatloaf at the park."

"Ooh, maybe I have super powers." She jokes as she wiggles her fingers as if she were casting a spell.

Will giggles while Jonathan rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

"Mom can you also buy some more crayons?" Will asks.

"I thought I bought you some a few months ago."

"They're almost gone, I color and draw all the time." He explains.

"Okay, more crayons. Jonathan do you need anything?" She asks walking over towards the dinning room and grabbing her purse from the table.

"I'm fine." He answers.

"Okay then, dinner and crayons coming right up." She says giving each of then a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back in 20 minutes, try not to burn the house down."

"Well try our best." Will exclaims with a chuckle.

Joyce walks out of the front door and to her car, she quickly heads into town to the market.

She smiles and waves at the familiar faces before parking and heading inside.

"Good evening Joyce." Old man Matthews says with a smile.

"Hello, how are you? Been a busy day?" She asks.

"It's actually been a little slow. Not very many people have came in today. That super store they built right outside of Hawkins is killing my business. It's only been Jim and you." He says shaking his head and lifting his hat letting her catch a glimpse of his balding head.

Joyce's stomach flips at the name Jim, of course there are more people in town named Jim so she keeps herself calm.

What Jim could it be?

"I'm hoping tomorrow will be better." He adds placing his hat back onto his head.

Jim, Jim who?

Jim White?

Jim Davies?

She couldn't handle the mystery, she must find out who was here.

"Jim?" She asks squinting her eyes in question and confusion.

"I'm sorry dear, I've forgot we have many people here then we did before." He shakes his head with a smile. "My old age and all." He adds waving his hand as if he didn't believe in the age problems.

"Hopper." He says louder then he planned.

"Yeah?" Jim's voice comes from an aisle in the store.

She felt like she needed to take a seat, how in the world could the man her sons were just talking about back home be back in Hawkins where she knows he doesn't live anymore?

How could it be that the only people that have been to the market all day decided to go at the same time, only a few minutes apart?

"Oh, Joyce was just wondering which Jim was here." He answers.

Jim walks to the end of the aisle, she notices the way his eyes seem to be dark and the bags under his eyes emphasizing his lack of sleep.

"Hop, what are you doing back in Hawkins? When did you get back?" She asks in surprise before making her way towards him to give him a hug.

"Couple days ago." He says sounding less like himself.

She knew something was wrong, Hop always has something to say wether it was something sarcastic or not.

"Hop, are you okay?" She asks.

Jim lifts his left hand to rub the invisible stress from his face.

"Not really." He answers shortly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks looking to his hand covering his face and noticing his missing wedding ring.

She knew what happened, she wouldn't push him to talk about it if he didn't feel like it.

She knew exactly how it is since she divorced Lonnie.

She understands the pain.

"Not right now Joyce. Thanks." He answers sounding exausted as he moves his hand down and into his pocket.

"Okay. That's okay." She smiles. "I'm gonna make some meatloaf tonight, if you would like you could join us." She offers.

She knew he would say no but it would be worth the try. He seemed very down and sad which she isn't used to. So maybe this could help him feel a little better.

"Thanks Joyce but I think I really just need to stay home right now."

"Wait you're back?" She asks sounding a little more excited then she should.

"Yup." He answers shortly.

"Well welcome back Hop."

"Yeah, I guess." He shrugs.

"I know they sold your old place, do you have a place to stay?" She asks.

"Staying at the motel."

"You know you could stay at our place so you don't have to spend money on a room."

"Yeah but it's away from people."

"Right." She says nodding her head knowing he wants to be alone.

She looks down to her shoes not knowing if she should walk away or stay by his side.

He's always been there for her, she knew he needed someone but he was pushing them away.

He must have noticed her feeling as if she were bothering him because he sighs.

"I'm more worried about what I'm going to do with work now that I'm back." He says trying to show her he doesn't really want her to give up on him just yet.

"Well maybe you can go back to being a cop, the cheif died a couple months ago." She says looking into his eyes.

"I heard." He says with a nod. "He was-" He sighs. "He was an asshole."

Joyce laughs quietly as she shakes her head.

"Hop, he's dead."

"So, he was still an ass."

She shakes her head with a smile. "Well maybe you could try for his old job. I mean who would be better at that job then you?"

"Yeah, I'll think about it." He says.

"Sounds good, go and get some rest. You look tired." She says squeezing his arm gently.

Hopper looks down to her hand, her ring missing just as his was.

Glancing towards her she nods softly, silently letting him know that she knows the feeling of going through a divorce.

"I'll call you when I need to talk." He says pulling back so her hand drops to her side.

"Maybe to also have a hot meal." She says gesturing to the small basket in his right hand that's filled with beer.

"Yeah, that too." He says before walking towards the front to buy his beer.

"It is good to have you back." She says one last time.

He smiles and waves before heading out of the store.

He was really down about the divorce, it hurts her to see him like this. This wasn't like him.

Who know maybe the divorce happened for a reason?

Maybe something was calling him back to Hawkins?

Maybe?


End file.
